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Age- and race-specific reference ranges for prostate-specific antigen from a large community-based study
E P DeAntoni1, E D Crawford, J E Oesterling
1Division of Urology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA.
Urology
|August 1, 1996
Summary
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels increase with age and vary significantly by race in men aged 40-79. These findings highlight the need for age- and race-specific PSA reference ranges in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Andrology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a key biomarker in prostate health.
- Understanding demographic influences on PSA levels is crucial for accurate interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between age and race on PSA levels.
- To establish age- and race-specific reference ranges for PSA.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 77,700 PSA records from men aged 40-79.
- Exclusion of prostate cancer cases and outlier PSA values (>20 ng/mL).
- Statistical comparison of mean PSA and variance across age groups and racial categories.
Main Results:
- Mean PSA significantly increased with each decade of age (40-49 to 70-79).
- PSA variance also significantly increased in older age groups.
- Significant differences in mean PSA were observed across racial groups (White, Black, Asian, Latino).
Conclusions:
- Age-specific PSA reference ranges are necessary due to increasing mean and variance with age.
- Race-specific PSA reference ranges are indicated by significant mean differences, though variance did not differ.
- The clinical utility of race-specific PSA ranges requires further investigation.